Set on the city fringe, which in Brisbane means a 10-minute walk to the Queen Street Mall (hardly a fringe compared to other big cities), you’ll benefit from quieter bedtimes here. You’ll also be a stone’s throw (pun intended) from all the restaurants on Boundary Street Spring Hill – not that you have much excuse to leave with their onsite restaurant Tumbling Stone downstairs.

If you’re looking for something a little different this time, here’s our favourite accommodation picks in the River City.

6PM: Stay up late with GOMA

Stop wondering what to do in Brisbane. Each Friday from 5:30pm, you can wander the current exhibitions and watch live music performances. It’ll only cost you the $20 in your pocket for a real-life night at the museum.

Featured exhibitions rotate approximately every 3-6 months but it’s well worth timing your visit for an opening night. There are extra performances, activities and that first-day hype (read: all the champagne).

Drinks are all part of the package, which will make you realise other galleries have been doing it wrong for all these years.

8PM: Eat with the cool kids

From GOMA, follow the fairy-lit road to Chu The Phat. The hip Thai-fusion restaurant enjoys two street frontages between Fish Lane and Melbourne Street, connecting South Brisbane to the funky suburb of West End.

On the menu you’ll find pork dumplings, noodles, rice, and a selection of meat dishes from duck to beef. But you won’t be alone if you find it hard to choose just one thing.

Take the pressure down and opt for the banquet which offers 10 dishes to share. It also makes bill-splitting easy with a fixed fee of $45 or $60 per person.

Saturday

8am: Tuck into breakfast at the stalwart of hip

Swap the tin and timber of Spring Hill for another of Brisbane’s favourite suburbs that cover the bend of the river taking in Newstead, New Farm, and Teneriffe.

Start the day right at Sourced Grocer, whose paddock-to-plate philosophy runs deeper than just their menu. This cafe also doubles as a boutique grocery store if you’re inclined to pick up some self-catering supplies too.

On the menu, you’ll find light bites like bircher, granola, fruit toast, and the classic avocado on sourdough. For something more substantial, there are cabbage pancakes, hard eggs, pastrami sandwich, and salad options that change daily.

Their coffee menu is just as exhaustive. The daily filter is always a safe choice and comes served in the cutest little teal-coloured cups.

9AM: Take a stroll, New Farm style

From Sourced, it’s a few hundred metres to the start of one of Brisbane’s best walks, following the curve of the Brisbane River and Brisbane’s own millionaire’s row.

Winding from the Teneriffe Ferry Terminal all the way to the city – there’sapproximately 6km of footpath suspended over the water for the exploring.

Don’t worry if you haven’t packed your walking shoes – this leg of the journey isonly 2km and there’s wine at the end of this tunnel.

10AM: Hit the Powerhouse Farmers Market

After putting 2km of distance between you and breakfast, grab a bite to eat from Powerhouse Farmers Market. Snacks come in the shape of omelettes, crepes and Japanese chicken skewers to name a few. They’re all handheld so you can wander while you eat.

You don’t have to consult the calendar to find out when these markets are on. Every Saturday the former powerhouse of Brisbane transforms its concrete playground into this farmers market, with over 120 stalls from 6am to 12noon.

Brisbaneites go with a basket, filling it with fresh produce to fuel their week. It’s got everything from fruit and vege, seafood to homemade sauces and chutneys.

2PM: Rest or roses

If the tropical humidity has triumphed (don’t worry, it happens to us too!) head back to your Spring Hill base for a nap. We’re laid-back in Queensland, after all. If you’re keen to push on, discover New Farm Park whose 37ha of gardens are a green thumb’s dream.

Each spring, its rose garden bursts into a sea of pink – completely colour coordinated thanks to the landscaping and town planning that happened here some 70 years ago.

If you’re ever at loss for what to do in Brisbane, you can easily spend the afternoon wandering around New Farm Park. Doss down with a good book under one of the fig trees, which cast shade wide enough for three families to picnic in peace.

The good news is, good coffee isn’t far away – New Farm is well known as the Italian capital of Brisbane if you wish to continue grazing.

What would you add to this itinerary if you were in Brisbane for a weekend?

Author

Contrary to what Hannah’s Instagram feed will have you believe, this pocket rocket spends most of her week behind the desk wielding a sword. Of course, by sword she means pen, but a girl can dream, right? When she’s not tied to the computer working on PR, social media or travel writing for clients, you'll find her with a nose to the ground looking for newcomers to Brisbane's food, drinks and wellbeing scene.